Choose INSIDE
Choose INSIDE if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 23,692 Steam reviews back the pick.
INSIDE vs The Gardener and the Wild Vines
INSIDE and The Gardener and the Wild Vines both land in Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam. INSIDE (2016) is 5 years older than The Gardener and the Wild Vines (2021). The Gardener and the Wild Vines scores higher on Steam reviews (97.9% positive) than INSIDE (96.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose The Gardener and the Wild Vines
Choose The Gardener and the Wild Vines if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Adjustable Difficulty side of the pairing. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. The Gardener and the Wild Vines launched in 2021.
Both INSIDE and The Gardener and the Wild Vines sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam and both list Color Alternatives, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (96.3% vs 97.9% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 INSIDE |  The Gardener and the Wild Vines | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 96.3% positive (23,692 reviews) | 97.9% positive (47 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Playdead | Finite Reflection Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- INSIDE (2016) is 5 years older than The Gardener and the Wild Vines (2021).
- The Gardener and the Wild Vines scores higher on Steam reviews (97.9% positive) than INSIDE (96.3% positive).
- The Gardener and the Wild Vines is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than INSIDE (9.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- INSIDE is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; The Gardener and the Wild Vines has no Deck rating yet.
INSIDE vs The Gardener and the Wild Vines — FAQ
- Should I play INSIDE or The Gardener and the Wild Vines first?
- If you want chronology, INSIDE (2016) came out before The Gardener and the Wild Vines (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are INSIDE and The Gardener and the Wild Vines similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does INSIDE run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — INSIDE is rated Deck Verified by Valve. The Gardener and the Wild Vines doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.